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| Look to the Heavens |
A Good Time to Look
We do not say "more time to look," but " a good time to look." Some people tell me they have less time to look around at nature these days, some people say they have more time.
Whatever camp we find ourselves in, this is a good time to look around at God's amazing creation. The night-time skies are less filled with obscuring smog (in large cities like New Delhi, the difference has been dramatic), the birds can be heard because road noise has diminished.
This is a good time to get out an look around at God's wonderful world!
The great prophet Isaiah, wanting to build faith in God's people during a season of trouble, asks them to look up at the skies and ponder the heavenly objects which God has made:
‘To whom will you compare me?
Or who is my equal?’ says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one
and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing.
(Isaiah 40:25-26)
We should pause to note, first of all, God's immense power.
POWER: God made all objects in the Universe
God made everything in the universe:
Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
who created all these?
The heavens above are populated by many wonderful objects - all far simpler than the humblest single-celled amoeba on earth - but wonderful none the less.
Quasars, stars, black holes, planets, pulsars, red giants, galaxies of many varieties, white dwarfs, nebula, and so on.
God made them all. The immensity of all these objects is far beyond the human mind to take in, and so we are drawn to wonder at the power of a God who can make such great objects.
CARE: God Keeps track of all his Stellar Creations
More than this, God keeps track of all his heavenly creations:
He who brings out the starry host one by one
and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing.
God cares for the stars!
One of the first things an amateur astronomer has to learn is the names of the constellations, summer and winter, along with the stars that make up their defining outlines. Then the amateur might learn to spot smudges in the skies, such as the Andromeda galaxy, our nearest neighbour. Little by little they build up a knowledge of the population of the night sky, filled with a thousand distinct jewels.
But since there are 100 billion stars in every galaxy and 100 billion galaxies in the known universe (at least; one recent survey multiplied that estimate by 10!), the human mind, let alone the human sight!, will never be able to view them, let alone name them one by one.
What a Mind it must take to keep track of all these heavenly bodies!
Isaiah wants to draw our attention to not only God's mind, but to his care. God calls each stellar object by name, and makes sure that none of them are missing! Like a shepherd at the end of a day, he accounts for every sheep-star.
Jesus took Isaiah to the next step: if God cares for his heavenly inanimate creatures so much, how much more will he care for his animate creatures, his children, his blood-bought children?
Summing it all Up
We do not need to fret or fear, do we? Though we too often do!
The God who not only made the universe above our heads but also cares for each heavenly sphere, cares for us. Closer to home, the One who made and feeds the sparrows, Jesus says, the One who made and clothes the flowers of the field, is our God and Father. And he cares for us much more than the inanimate objects of his care.
So let us trust him, and not be afraid!
A SONG FOR THE DAY
I learnt this song in Daily Vacation Bible School (DVBS) when I was a child, living in Karachi, Pakistan. Songs learnt as a child so often stay with us for life. (One wonderful reason to teach our children Christian songs when they are young.)
This is my Father's world,
And to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings
The music of the spheres.
This is my Father's world:
I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas-
His hand the wonders wrought.
This is my Father's world:
The birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white,
Declare their Maker's praise.
This is my Father's world:
He shines in all that's fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass,
He speaks to me everywhere.
This is my Father's world:
O let me ne'er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the Ruler yet.
This is my Father's world:
Why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King: let the heavens ring!
God reigns; let earth be glad!
Maltbie Babcock, 1901
You can sing along HERE.
A PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Our gracious and loving Father in heaven,
We thank you for reminding us through your prophet Isaiah, that there is no one like you. You alone made the starry host, you alone know each one by name, you alone care for them, one by one.
Teach us to remember that you care for us even more. Remind us of the words of your Son who told us not to worry because we are far more valuable than looked-after stars, sparrows or lilies of the field.
We thank you that we are twice precious in your sight: precious because we are made in your image, and precious because we have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus.
In his Holy Name we pray these things,
Amen.
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Photo Credit: Daniel Weis
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